diff --git a/src/__tests__/lib/exampleData.js b/src/__tests__/lib/exampleData.js
index a400c9c706c..5f2885600fb 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/lib/exampleData.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/lib/exampleData.js
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ export const action = deepFreeze({
   },
   login_success: {
     type: LOGIN_SUCCESS,
-    realm: selfAccount.realm.toString(),
+    realm: selfAccount.realm,
     email: selfAccount.email,
     apiKey: selfAccount.apiKey,
   },
diff --git a/src/account/__tests__/accountsReducer-test.js b/src/account/__tests__/accountsReducer-test.js
index 14782bedc0f..ef8596e27dc 100644
--- a/src/account/__tests__/accountsReducer-test.js
+++ b/src/account/__tests__/accountsReducer-test.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ describe('accountsReducer', () => {
 
       test('if no account with this realm exists, prepend new one, with empty email/apiKey', () => {
         const newRealm = new URL('https://new.realm.org');
-        const action = deepFreeze({ ...baseAction, realm: newRealm.toString() });
+        const action = deepFreeze({ ...baseAction, realm: newRealm });
         expect(accountsReducer(prevState, action)).toEqual([
           eg.makeAccount({ realm: newRealm, email: '', apiKey: '' }),
           account1,
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ describe('accountsReducer', () => {
       });
 
       test('if account with this realm exists, move to front of list', () => {
-        const action = deepFreeze({ ...baseAction, realm: account2.realm.toString() });
+        const action = deepFreeze({ ...baseAction, realm: account2.realm });
         expect(accountsReducer(prevState, action)).toEqual([account2, account1]);
       });
     });
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ describe('accountsReducer', () => {
       const existingAccountBase = eg.makeAccount({});
       const baseAction = deepFreeze({
         type: REALM_ADD,
-        realm: existingAccountBase.realm.toString(),
+        realm: existingAccountBase.realm,
         zulipFeatureLevel: eg.zulipFeatureLevel,
         zulipVersion: eg.zulipVersion,
       });
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ describe('accountsReducer', () => {
         type: LOGIN_SUCCESS,
         apiKey: newAccount.apiKey,
         email: newAccount.email,
-        realm: newAccount.realm.toString(),
+        realm: newAccount.realm,
       });
 
       const expectedState = [{ ...newAccount, zulipVersion: account1.zulipVersion }, account2];
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ describe('accountsReducer', () => {
         type: LOGIN_SUCCESS,
         apiKey: newAccount.apiKey,
         email: newAccount.email,
-        realm: newAccount.realm.toString(),
+        realm: newAccount.realm,
       });
 
       const expectedState = [newAccount, account1, account2];
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ describe('accountsReducer', () => {
       const action = deepFreeze({
         type: LOGIN_SUCCESS,
         apiKey: newAccount.apiKey,
-        realm: newAccount.realm.toString(),
+        realm: newAccount.realm,
         email: newAccount.email,
       });
 
diff --git a/src/account/accountActions.js b/src/account/accountActions.js
index ab948cdb4aa..37e40e99b91 100644
--- a/src/account/accountActions.js
+++ b/src/account/accountActions.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export const switchAccount = (index: number): Action => ({
 });
 
 export const realmAdd = (
-  realm: string,
+  realm: URL,
   zulipFeatureLevel: number,
   zulipVersion: ZulipVersion,
 ): Action => ({
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export const removeAccount = (index: number): Action => ({
   index,
 });
 
-export const loginSuccess = (realm: string, email: string, apiKey: string): Action => ({
+export const loginSuccess = (realm: URL, email: string, apiKey: string): Action => ({
   type: LOGIN_SUCCESS,
   realm,
   email,
diff --git a/src/account/accountsReducer.js b/src/account/accountsReducer.js
index 102cb769ccd..c9c06e6705e 100644
--- a/src/account/accountsReducer.js
+++ b/src/account/accountsReducer.js
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ import { NULL_ARRAY } from '../nullObjects';
 const initialState = NULL_ARRAY;
 
 const realmAdd = (state, action) => {
-  const accountIndex = state.findIndex(account => account.realm.toString() === action.realm);
+  const accountIndex = state.findIndex(
+    account => account.realm.toString() === action.realm.toString(),
+  );
 
   if (accountIndex !== -1) {
     const newAccount = {
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ const realmAdd = (state, action) => {
 
   return [
     {
-      realm: new URL(action.realm),
+      realm: action.realm,
       apiKey: '',
       email: '',
       ackedPushToken: null,
@@ -67,17 +69,10 @@ const findAccount = (state: AccountsState, identity: Identity): number => {
 
 const loginSuccess = (state, action) => {
   const { realm, email, apiKey } = action;
-  const accountIndex = findAccount(state, { realm: new URL(realm), email });
+  const accountIndex = findAccount(state, { realm, email });
   if (accountIndex === -1) {
     return [
-      {
-        realm: new URL(realm),
-        email,
-        apiKey,
-        ackedPushToken: null,
-        zulipVersion: null,
-        zulipFeatureLevel: null,
-      },
+      { realm, email, apiKey, ackedPushToken: null, zulipVersion: null, zulipFeatureLevel: null },
       ...state,
     ];
   }
diff --git a/src/actionTypes.js b/src/actionTypes.js
index 2a03fbb0b3e..db6394f565a 100644
--- a/src/actionTypes.js
+++ b/src/actionTypes.js
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ type AccountSwitchAction = {|
 
 type RealmAddAction = {|
   type: typeof REALM_ADD,
-  realm: string,
+  realm: URL,
   zulipFeatureLevel: number,
   zulipVersion: ZulipVersion,
 |};
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ type AccountRemoveAction = {|
 
 type LoginSuccessAction = {|
   type: typeof LOGIN_SUCCESS,
-  realm: string,
+  realm: URL,
   email: string,
   apiKey: string,
 |};
diff --git a/src/start/AuthScreen.js b/src/start/AuthScreen.js
index 985f182ba50..a8a4a718d7a 100644
--- a/src/start/AuthScreen.js
+++ b/src/start/AuthScreen.js
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ class AuthScreen extends PureComponent<Props> {
     const { dispatch, realm } = this.props;
     const auth = webAuth.authFromCallbackUrl(event.url, otp, realm);
     if (auth) {
-      dispatch(loginSuccess(auth.realm.toString(), auth.email, auth.apiKey));
+      dispatch(loginSuccess(auth.realm, auth.email, auth.apiKey));
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/src/start/DevAuthScreen.js b/src/start/DevAuthScreen.js
index 3b2cf1fd50d..10259c570a8 100644
--- a/src/start/DevAuthScreen.js
+++ b/src/start/DevAuthScreen.js
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class DevAuthScreen extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
 
     try {
       const { api_key } = await api.devFetchApiKey(partialAuth, email);
-      this.props.dispatch(loginSuccess(partialAuth.realm.toString(), email, api_key));
+      this.props.dispatch(loginSuccess(partialAuth.realm, email, api_key));
       this.setState({ progress: false });
     } catch (err) {
       this.setState({ progress: false, error: err.data && err.data.msg });
diff --git a/src/start/PasswordAuthScreen.js b/src/start/PasswordAuthScreen.js
index 6d90687f27d..21a4c7d4b52 100644
--- a/src/start/PasswordAuthScreen.js
+++ b/src/start/PasswordAuthScreen.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class PasswordAuthScreen extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
     try {
       const fetchedKey = await api.fetchApiKey(partialAuth, email, password);
       this.setState({ progress: false });
-      dispatch(loginSuccess(partialAuth.realm.toString(), fetchedKey.email, fetchedKey.api_key));
+      dispatch(loginSuccess(partialAuth.realm, fetchedKey.email, fetchedKey.api_key));
     } catch (err) {
       this.setState({
         progress: false,
diff --git a/src/start/RealmScreen.js b/src/start/RealmScreen.js
index aecf8478253..73194af3606 100644
--- a/src/start/RealmScreen.js
+++ b/src/start/RealmScreen.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class RealmScreen extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
       const serverSettings: ApiResponseServerSettings = await api.getServerSettings(parsedRealm);
       dispatch(
         realmAdd(
-          realmInputValue,
+          parsedRealm,
           serverSettings.zulip_feature_level ?? 0,
           new ZulipVersion(serverSettings.zulip_version),
         ),